Chat and Channel Marketing: for Advertising Agencies

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Marketing is becoming more and more personal. Instead of targeting masses with generic advertisements that won’t necessarily move the needle, marketers are focusing on micro-audiences and giving them exactly what they want to see. This is especially true for marketing strategies that involve real-time chat and personal channels such as messenger marketing, WhatsApp marketing, and other similar tactics. These small yet powerful platforms are ideal for creating one-on-one connections with customers who may have gone unnoticed in the past.

What is Messenger Marketing?

Before diving into specific strategies for each platform, it’s important to understand the basics of messenger marketing. In the simplest terms possible, messenger marketing is a form of digital communication between your company and prospective and current customers. Compared to the other types of marketing, it’s highly customizable and can be used to send a range of different messages to different audiences. There are two types of messaging strategies to keep in mind. The first is marketing via messaging apps, which includes WhatsApp, WeChat, iMessage, Facebook Messenger (FB Messenger), and others. The second is marketing via your website/app in which visitors can click a “send” button to initiate a conversation with a real person.

Why Messenger Marketing is so Powerful

As mentioned above, messenger marketing can be tailored to each individual in a way that mass marketing can’t match. That flexibility and personalization come with a lot of advantages. The most obvious benefit of messenger marketing is the ability to put a human face behind the company. Customers like to see that there are real people behind a business, and messenger marketing lets you put your best foot forward any time it’s convenient for you and your customers. One advantage of messenger marketing is instant gratification. Customers can see that you’re available and willing to help whenever they need it. That can be the difference between a sale and a lost opportunity. The immediacy of messaging means what you say can be more spontaneous and casual, too.

How to Run a Successful Messenger Marketing Campaign

Keep in mind that while messenger marketing is a relatively new concept, it’s not a “wild west” of marketing. If you want your efforts to have a positive impact on your business, you’ll have to follow some general best practices. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while you’re planning your campaign. - Be Authentic - It can be tempting to put on a happy face 24/7, but that doesn’t work with messenger marketing. Be real, be authentic, and be yourself. Customers will respond better to a genuine human being behind the business than a corporate sounding robot. - Keep it Short and Sweet - The attention span of the modern customer is notoriously short. That doesn’t mean messenger marketing isn’t effective, but you do have to plan your strategy with brevity in mind. Make your message short and sweet, and leave the customer wanting more. - Stand Out - The beauty of messenger marketing is that it’s highly customizable. That also means there’s plenty of room for everyone to get lost in the shuffle. Make sure your marketing strategy stands out.

Benefits of WhatsApp Marketing

There are many benefits to implementing a WhatsApp marketing strategy. For starters, WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging apps in the world. It’s especially huge in emerging markets such as India and Brazil. With over 1 billion active users, it’s smart to think about how to use WhatsApp for marketing. On top of that, WhatsApp users are highly engaged. Customers who use this app tend to open and read their messages multiple times per day. That means you have a captive audience for each one of your marketing campaigns. There are also privacy implications to keep in mind. WhatsApp has been at the center of controversy over user privacy issues in the past. WhatsApp purchased by Facebook, which has led to a lot of concern over privacy and data protection. Most recently, the European Union has threatened to shut down the app completely in an effort to fight data privacy concerns. Consider your customers’ feelings about data privacy and whether WhatsApp is the right platform for your marketing efforts.

Limitations of WhatsApp Marketing

No marketing strategy is perfect. While there are a ton of benefits to WhatsApp marketing, it also has some limitations that you’ll want to keep in mind. For example, WhatsApp doesn’t have a search function. If someone has your number but doesn’t remember who you are, it can be hard for them to find you again. That makes it harder for customers to find information about your business if they want to come back for a second purchase. Another limitation of WhatsApp marketing is the fact that it’s only available on one platform: phones. While there are apps for computers, it’s not the same as communicating directly from the website you interact with on a daily basis. That means you can’t always be as timely and precise with your communications when using WhatsApp as you might like.

Conclusion

Chat and channel marketing are quickly becoming essential tools for modern marketers. With their ability to create one-on-one connections with customers, they can make a sizable impact on your bottom line. There’s no question that these channels are effective. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they aren’t the right fit for every business. If you’re not sure where to start with your marketing, or you want to amplify your existing marketing strategy to make it more effective, chat and channel marketing may be the perfect solution for you.

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